1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscopic image display apparatus and an endoscopic image viewing program for viewing image data taken by an endoscopic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in order to view an image taken by an endoscopic device, for example, an endoscopic image viewing program for viewing endoscopic images is installed in a personal computer and executed by the personal computer. The image to be viewed is stored in a recording medium such as a memory card by the endoscopic device (see, for example, JP 2006-334247 A).
Various incidental information relating to the taking of the image is stored together with the image in the recording medium. For example, the incidental information relating to taking of the image includes a file name of an image file of the image, a date and time of image recording, an image-taking condition, the name of an optical adapter used (at the distal end of an endoscope) to take the image, and measurement data in the image. The endoscopic image viewing program is thus able to display the image as well as the incidental information.
Conventionally, it has been possible with a conventional endoscopic image viewing program to display two images simultaneously, by displaying the images in respective windows with a window display one image overlaid on a window displaying the other image, or by reducing the size of the two images and displaying the images side by side.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional example of two windows each displaying an image in an overlaid state. In FIG. 1, both an image window 101 in which an image 102 is displayed, and an image window 103 in which an image 104 is displayed, are opened and displayed on a display screen 105. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the image window 103 is overlaid on the image window 101. However, when two images taken by the endoscopic device are displayed, with one image overlaid on another image, there has been a problem that a manipulation has to be executed so that the image that is desired to be viewed is displayed on top. In particular, when two images are being compared to each other, it is necessary to repeatedly change which image is on top, which complicates the comparison.
FIG. 2 shows a conventional example of two images that are reduced in size and displayed side by side. In FIG. 2, the images 102 and 104 are displayed in a reduced size in image window 106 so that each of the images 102 and 104 can be displayed in its entirety. However, when two images are reduced in size to be displayed side by side, there has been a problem that the detail in each image is reduced, and is insufficient.
It has also been possible with a conventional endoscopic image viewing program to display a stereoscopic image, which has been taken stereoscopically by the endoscope. However, when the displayed image is a stereoscopic image, for example for performing measurement, two images with almost no difference are displayed at the same time, which may be unnecessary in viewing or utilizing the image with another application program or device.
With the endoscopic image display technique described above, since the image file and the incidental information relating thereto are stored separately, that is, as separate files, the image and the incidental information are separately displayed, for example, in separate windows. Therefore, there has been a problem that, for example, it is difficult to understand what part of the image is indicated by the incidental information. In addition, when both the image and the incidental information are to be utilized using a different kind of application program or device, there has been a problem that manipulation is complicated due to the necessity of handling each of the image and the incidental information as a separate file.
The endoscopic image display technique described above is also capable of displaying an image and incidental information in an overlaid state. However, in this case, it is necessary to create and store one item of data, that is, one file, in which the image and the incidental information are overlaid. As a result, there has been a problem that it is not possible to cause the image to be displayed by itself at a later time.
In a conventional information display apparatus, for example, a device such as a personal computer having image display software installed thereon, creates a folder or a directory and stores each electronic file in the folder, to classify and arrange an electronic document file and an electronic file such as an electronic image file on a storage medium (storage device). Sub-folders can be provided in the folder in addition to the electronic files. The folder or directory, sub-folder or sub-directory, and electronic files are usually classified and managed hierarchically. The folders and sub-folders, which are classified and managed hierarchically, are usually also displayed hierarchically in a predetermined region so that the hierarchical structure may be easily identified visually. And the sub-folders or electronic files stored in an arbitrary designated folder or sub-folder may be displayed in a list in a predetermined region. (See, for example, JP 2006-350634 A.)
FIG. 3 is an example of display of thumbnail images by a conventional information display apparatus. As shown in FIG. 3, the conventional information display apparatus displays a main window 111 as a display window on a display screen 110. The main window 111 includes a toolbar 112 (of various types), as well as a folder tree area 113 and a contents area 114 in addition to a toolbar 12. The folder tree area 113 and the contents area 114 are displayed simultaneously. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the hierarchically managed folders and files are displayed in the folder tree area 113, and a folder is highlighted to show that it is designated (see the folder named “1001V7R1”). Moreover, a limited number (nine) of the electronic files in the folder (“1001V7R1”) designated in the folder tree area 113 are displayed in thumbnail format in the contents area 114.
FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3, except that the electronic files in the folder (“1001V7R1”) designated in the folder tree area 113 are displayed as a list of file names, instead of as thumbnails, in the contents area 114. The user can switch between the views used in the contents area 114 in FIGS. 3 and 4 using the toolbar 112.
The display in the thumbnail format shown in the contents area 114 in FIG. 3 is convenient because it allows the user to know what kind of image each file is. However, because of the screen area occupied by each thumbnail, the number of thumbnails that can be displayed in the contents area 114 is very limited, and in many cases, all of the electronic files in the designated folder cannot be displayed. In this case, the thumbnails of all of the electronic files can be displayed sequentially by manipulating a scrollbar. Moreover, even though the performance of modern computers has been enhanced, because each thumbnail is an image, displaying a plurality of thumbnails requires a certain amount of time. Therefore, if a user wants to execute a specific electronic file and the thumbnail of the electronic file is not currently displayed in the contents area 114, the thumbnails must be scrolled through unit the desired electronic file is displayed. Thus, the user must wait for the time required for processing by the personal computer in this operation.
When the display in the contents area 114 is shifted to a list display of the file names as shown in FIG. 4, the display of the file names is completed almost instantaneously. In addition, even if a large number of electronic files are stored in the designated folder, a large number of file names can be displayed at one time in list form, because the area occupied by one file name is small. Still further, even if all of the electronic files stored in the designated folder cannot be displayed at one time and thus have to be scrolled by displaying a scrollbar, the scrolling will be performed at a high speed. Therefore, while a user may not know what each file is in the case that the list display of the file names as shown in FIG. 4 is used, if the user desires to execute a certain electronic file, the motion can be executed in a very short time.
With the conventional image display apparatus described above, when a list of sub-folders or electronic files stored in a designated folder or sub-folder is displayed in a predetermined region, the list may be a list of a limited number of thumbnails, icons or the like, or may be a list of a large number of file names without thumbnails, depending the purpose of use by the user. Consequently, there has been a problem that simultaneously performing display of the thumbnail list and display of the file name list is not possible.
Conventionally, moreover, it has been necessary to install an endoscopic image viewing program on a personal computer, for example, to view an image taken by an endoscopic device. FIG. 5 illustrates a conventional endoscope system, and FIG. 6 is illustrates installation of the conventional endoscopic image viewing program.
In FIG. 5, an endoscope system 200 for the purpose of inspecting, for example, a blade of an aircraft engine or an internal area of electric wiring includes an industrial endoscopic device 210 to observe an internal area of a machine or a lumen that is difficult to access and a personal computer 220 with an endoscopic image viewing program 222 installed on a hard disk 221 thereof. The endoscopic image viewing program 222 is executed by the personal computer 220 to view image data 212 captured by the endoscopic device 210. The image data 212 captured by the endoscopic device 210 is transmitted to the personal computer 220 using a memory card 211 or a USB cable 240.
In order to enable viewing of the image data 212 by executing the endoscopic image viewing program 222, a CPU 225, which is interconnected with the hard disk 221 and a RAM 224 via a bus 223, reads out the endoscopic image viewing program 222 from the hard disk 221 onto the RAM 224 and executes the endoscopic image viewing program 222.
In order to provide the endoscope system 200 shown in FIG. 5, the endoscopic image viewing program 222 needs to be installed in the personal computer 220. Installation is performed by executing an installation program 231 (hereinafter called the installer) for installing the endoscopic image viewing program 222, by deploying an endoscopic image display application 232 to the personal computer 220 to be stored in the personal computer 220 as the endoscopic image viewing program 222. The endoscopic image display application 232 herein is a file set which is not executable by itself, and the endoscopic image viewing program 222 is a self-executable execution module.
Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 6, the endoscopic image display application 232 and the installer 231 have been provided by using a recording medium such as a CD-ROM 230 having the endoscopic image display application 232 and the installer 231 stored thereon, or by enabling downloading of the endoscopic image display application 232 and the installer 231 from a site 260 on a communication network via Internet 250, for example. (See, for example, JP 2003-256210 A.)
However, it is difficult for a user who is not familiar with the operation of personal computers to install an endoscope image viewing program on a personal computer. In addition, in the case of a personal computer owned by a company or other organization, installation of an external application program such as an endoscopic image viewing program may be restricted.